Dehydrating Meyer Lemons and Limes

It’s been spring for more than two weeks now, but today I finally felt it. I walked to work without a coat, though my down-the-hall neighbor did raise an eyebrow at my wardrobe choice as we rode the elevator downstairs together (my mother need not worry, living in a building with hundreds of retired Jewish women means I never lack for vocal commentary on my seasonal appropriateness. I have been told to go home and get an umbrella on multiple occasions).

Last week, before this balmy weather arrived, I was doing everything I could to brighten both my mood and the state of the kitchen and so tackled one final citrus preservation project. This one is so easy that I feel a little silly even mentioning it, but the pictures came out so nicely that it would be a shame not to share them.

I scrubbed two pounds of citrus (half Meyer lemons, half limes), dried them and cut them into slices between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. I pulled out my very basic dehydrator, laid the slices out on the trays and dehydrated them for 18 hours on the 135 degree setting.

Stashed in tightly sealed jars, these slices should last for a very long time. I like to pop one into the water bottle I use each day, so that it rehydrates and gently scents the water with the flavor of fruit.

A few thoughts. If you do this, make sure to keep them going until they are entirely dry. Leaving them with any liquid means you run the risk of having them go bad quite soon. Store them out of the sunlight to further extend their lifespan. The one thing I haven’t done yet that I’m planning on trying is to pulverize them in a food process or blender and see if I can’t make citrus powder with them. I think that would be a nice touch in salad dressings and other good stuff.

If you don’t have a dehydrator, I’ve heard that you can achieve a similar effect in a very low oven (I have not tried it, but Kevin West has). Make sure to put the fruit on a rack so that the air can circulate and moisture can evaporate. I bet a convection oven would do a good job as well.

45 Responses to Dehydrating Meyer Lemons and Limes

I dry lemons, oranges and limes every year. It is great to add a few slices to any soup, or braised foods while I am cooking them. They soften and eventually disintegrate leaving behind their tangy flavor. Delicious!

I’ve seen lemons, oranges, limes, etc completely skinned of the peel using the sharp knife/cut off top and bottom/slice off skin all around technique. There was quite a bit of citrus left (only the skin and pith was removed).

The fruit was sliced in 1/4 inch slices then dehydrated. They looked very nice. They were so dried they clicked when dropped on countertop.

A VERY sharp knife is required.

The video said to store in glass jars with oxygen absorbers and they lasted over a year.

Nice. I put slices of lime into some Kadota fig preserves I made last year and just that hint of lime is so tantalizing. I’m also glad I’m not the only one who thought I’d die an old woman before this winter ended (is it really over?).

This weekend I had a bag of meyer lemons in my hand at the grocery store. They looked so beautiful but I thought “what in the world would I do with these?” so I put them back. Now you’ve given me the answer! Great idea.

If using the oven-drying method, do be mindful of the type of rack/pan you place the fruits on. The acids can really do a number on certain types of metals. And unfortunately that is experience speaking. I have ground dried limes before to make my own lime pepper. If you break them up and put them in a coffee grinder it works pretty well.

Everyone in our family loves lemons, and I take a bottle of water with me everywhere I go. Great way to always have lemon available to pop into the water bottle rather than keep cutting up a fresh one.

Perfect timing…I just snipped the last of the Meyer’s off of my tree on Sunday. And I don’t think it’s too basic…if Giada can share it on her cooking show…you can share it here! (Now…if I could just remember what she DID with them!)

Soak for a few minutes in warm water then lay on top of fish being broiled, grilled or baked in paper. I usually layer the fish with about 6-8 slices to get a really good tart flavor going on.

I’ve also soaked them, chopped them and put about 1/2 – 1 tsp into salad dressings. They work really well chopped up in vinaigrettes.

I’ve also used them in foot baths. Run the hot water, throw in about 10 slices, let water sit until right temp for feet then sit down with a good book while feet get pampered. At the end I buff feet with a pumice stone and rub with raw cucumber slices, then olive or argon oil and put on my socks for bed. Delightful!!! And the bedroom smells so good that night!

Thank you for this “how to” on dehydrating Meyer lemons. Plus, those photos? They’re stunning. Absolutely.

Every year I host a potluck dinner where everyone is asked to bring a Meyer lemon dish, from entrees to desserts. Everything has to have Meyer lemons in it. I just know your dehydrated Meyer lemons will be the talk of the party.

Loads of appreciative applause in advance from my potluck guests to you,
Cecily

They look GREAT, thanks so much for sharing and so happy to have found you. I have an excaliber dehydrator, but it is in Washington, am here in Calif for the Winter, Spring. Think I will go to walmart and find another one for here.

The oven in my old range only went as low as 170°F. For years I dehydrated trays of soaked nuts with the door propped slightly open with a wooden spoon, which allowed the temperature to drop just the right amount as well as allowed the moisture to escape.

For just a small pan of food I have used my convection countertop toaster oven that has a 12″ x 12″ rack and a low temp of 150°F.

My latest make-shift dehydrators use my Instant Pot 6qt DUO and Smart model electric pressure multi-cookers. Following directions posted by the former moderator on the Instant Pot community page on Facebook, I rigged my two Instant Pots to work as dehydrators (lid off, Keep Warm* setting).

A few supplies are needed. I find items that worked well at a Daiso “100 ¥” store (a chain of Japanese style “dollar” stores but overall higher quality items than a typical dollar store).

I bought about 10 perforated s/s disk shaped steam plates (for $1.50 each) which three 1 inch legs each, to hold the food and stack inside the IP’s s/s liner pan. I don’t load the top steamer plate with food – it supports a lightweight USB powered personal fan (also from Daiso, $4) that is plugged into a nearby wall outlet. I rotate the fan to suck the warm air up and out of the Instant Pot liner pan.

Periodically I set aside the fan and rotate the position of the s/s steamer plates to even out the rate of dehydration.

* The Instant Pot Smart model is customizable with a smartphone app, so it’s possible to adjust the temperature precisely up or down as needed, or set a timer to stop and start when desired.

I dry lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit slices like this a lot. Once dried they store a long time and, with sugar and water and some boiling time I have some pretty incredible candied fruit around. I have never pulverized the slices but I like the idea. If I were to do so, though, I think I would dry the zest and the fruit separately & discard the pith so that the pulverized dust wouldn’t be bitter.

So far, I’ve packaged them into small jars to give as gifts and have dropped them into many a glass of water. I still have plans to pulverize some to use in marinades and salad dressings. Along the way, someone made the suggestion of including a few in the stock making process, to help draw out more nutrition from the bones.

[…] for the trail – including tomato paste. I really like Marisa at Food in Jars’ idea of dehydrating winter citrus for use later on. Though I don’t have a dehydrator at the moment, I do have a limited budget […]

These look beautiful! But I had to laugh at the comment about your neighbor’s commentary on your clothing. I ran into the same thing every day from the 93 year old jewish lady who lived downstairs from me during my time in Philly. And god forbid, I should lose weight, she’d try to feed me!

Hmm.. now I want a dehydrator. I just saw 2 lbs of key limes for sale at the dollar store (of all places!) for 99 cents.

[…] Dehydration is another great option for preserving some types of fruit. Slices of lemons and limes can be dehydrated and stored in jars for later use in flavoring water. Oranges and grapefruits are not great candidates for dehydration. […]

[…] a glass of fizzy water. Often I drink it plain, or with a squirt of lemon juice (one of these dehydrated lemon slices works too). Sometimes, I muddle a little bit of runny jam into my glass (it’s a great way to […]

I peel my citrus, slice it and take as much pith (white stuff) off of both the fruit and the peel. A steak knife scrapes it nicely off of the peel. Then I dehydrate them separately. Afterward, I use the lemon for water, etc. But I put the peel in the blender, grind it down as finely as I can. Voila! Instant orange, lemon and lime zest! For any recipe that requires zest and for a good old inhale from the jar on those gloomy winter days. Aroma therapy at its best.

No dehydrator? No problem. A parked car will serve just fine for drying whatever you like, including laundry. A couple of days sitting in the sun, especially in a paved parking lot, will usually do it, or at least get stuff to the point where the drying will finish in ordinary air.

if you have a lot of lemons and do not know what to do with it after you dry some , I have done this :

1- Use a lemon juicer to get the Juice , then pour it into ice maker small containers (The way we used to make ice during the old days before they came up with an ice maker ) . TAke the ice cubes, save them in a plastic bag, keep in the freezer, you always will have fresh lemon juice to use on salads, lemonade, fish, ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

2- I put some lemons as a whole in the freezer, I find them handy after the season to get lemon juice , when I get one out of the freezer, I let it thaw or defrost in micro wave , the skin peels right off , neat

[…] for the trail – including tomato paste. I really like Marisa at Food in Jars’ idea of dehydrating winter citrus for use later on. Though I don’t have a dehydrator at the moment, I do have a limited budget […]

[…] Dehydration is another great option for preserving some types of fruit. Slices of lemons and limes can be dehydrated and stored in jars for later use in flavoring water. Oranges and grapefruits are not great candidates for dehydration. […]

[…] a glass of fizzy water. Often I drink it plain, or with a squirt of lemon juice (one of these dehydrated lemon slices works too). Sometimes, I muddle a little bit of runny jam into my glass (it’s a great way to […]